BISMARCK (AP) -- North Dakota's insurance commissioner has fined Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota $30,000 for marketing and paperwork violations.
Adam Hamm says he imposed a maximum $10,000 fine for each of three separate violations. He says the Fargo health insurer has agreed not to contest the penalty.
Hamm says Blue Cross Blue Shield marketing materials understate the company's administrative costs and how much money it pays in health insurance claims.
The insurer also was fined for failing to file some of its doctor agreements with the Insurance Department, and for failing to include some provisions required by state law.
A recent audit questioned Blue Cross' spending on employee bonuses and other perks. Hamm says the contract and marketing review is a separate issue. He says the review started last fall.
